Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Mullingar Lea

reel

Key signature: Gmixolydian

Submitted on May 14th 2003 by Dow.

This tune has been added to 40 tunebooks.

Also known as The Collier's Daughter, Mullingar Lea, The Mullingar Lee, The Nine Pint Coggie, The Nine Point Coggie, The Pint Of Ale.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Mullingar Lea, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmix
BGdG GFDE|F2AF CF (3ABc|BGG^F GFDE|FAdc BGGA|
BGdG GFDE|F2AF CF (3ABc|BG~G2 DEFE|FAdc BG~G2||
~g3d Bcde|~f3c ABcd|~g3d BcdB|dgga bga^f|
~g3d Bcde|~f3c ABcd|ed^cd DEFE|FAdc BG~G2||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Mullingar Lea sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Aka The Nine Pint Coggie, The Collier's Daughter

One of those Gmix tunes where the F#s and F nats are pretty much interchangeable.

I originally got this tune from Gra5ity, who learnt it from a student fiddle player (I think he said). That version turned out to be almost exactly identical to the one on Henrik Norbeck's site, so I decided that it would be pointless to post it here. So this is a setting I've started playing myself, which is sort of a fusion of settings from other sources.

Although this tends to get called "The Mullingar Lea" in Ireland nowadays, it originally developed from a Scottish tune called "The Nine Pint Coggie". This features in J. Scott Skinner's manuscripts ("The Scottish Violinist"), where it is noted as being an "ancient reel". Nigel Gatherer has a transcription on his site which I have permission to reproduce here. He says that although it is under the "tunes composed by J. Scott Skinner" section on his website, it shouldn't be because JSS didn't actually write it:

T: The Nine Pint Coggie
K: Gmaj
c|B>G G/G/G G2DE|=F2cF Accd|B>G G/G/G G2DF|G2gd Bd2:|
f|gagd Bcde|=fgfc ABc^f|gagd Bcdf|g/f/e/f/ gd Bd2f|
gagd Bcde|=fgfc ABce|(3dcB (3cBA G2DF|G2gd Bd2||

This setting has a distinctly Scottish feel because of the rhythm and ornamentation, most notably the semiquaver run in the 2nd part - a type of ornament that used to be really popular in traditional music, and still often replaces the Irish-style roll in Scotland and parts of England.

The oldest version of this reel, however, is neither one of the above. It is an old-style reel called "The Collier's Daughter". It sketches out the "bare bones" of the more modern versions. I think it's interesting to see how the tune has developed over time:

T: The Collier's Daughter
K: Gdor
dc|B2 G2 G2 G2|G4 D4|D2 F4 F2|A2 c4 dc|
B2 G2 G2 G2|G4 D4|cBAG cBAG|B2 G:|
|:ef|gfed cded|c4 f4|cBAG FGAB|A4 c4|
B2 G2 A2 D2|B2 G2 A2 D2|gfef g2 G2|B2 d4:|

# Posted on May 14th 2003 by Dow

The last bar of the 1st part of The Collier's Daughter should go:
|B2 G4:|
A "coggie" is a Scottish word for a bucket/pail type thing.

# Posted on May 14th 2003 by Dow

Nice work, Mark. Meticulous research as usual. I like the changes overall. Thanks for posting so promptly. This would have languished in my files as I'm "in the weeds" until October at least.

Gra5ity

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Gra5ity

So what the hell is a coggie?

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Zina Lee

Paddy Carty

Lovely tune...one of those really nice but all too often overlooked gems. Paddy Carty did it on the 1975 album with him and the then amazingly young-looking Mick O'Connor. Sounds just perfect for the East Galway flute style.

Danny.

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by xyz

Zina, your specs are through on the table :-)

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Dow

LOL -- Dow, what the hell is a bucket/pail type thing, fer cat's sake? A sugar maple sap pail? A milk can? Just any old bucket that's lying around?

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Zina Lee

I think it's likely to be a milk pail, but I guess you can fill it with anything you like ... as long as it's not more than 9 pints otherwise it's going to end up all over the floor.

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Dow

New meaning for "kick the bucket" -- speaking of which, I'd better get back to cleaning the house. Our enormous fish tank leaked last night, about a third of the water was in the carpet and down in the basement this morning when we came down -- what fun cleaning it up...NOT. Could've used a coggie then, I suppose! But I felt like drinking nine pints after...

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Zina Lee

Coggie

Who cares what it is - if it holds 9 pints, that's good enough for me!

# Posted on May 15th 2003 by Kenny

... but not if it's got a hole in the bottom.

# Posted on May 16th 2003 by Dow

Dow, I know quite a different Nine Pint Coggie, which goes like this:
M:4/4
R:Reel
K:Edor
D|B,EE/E/E E2DB|ADFD FAAE|Bee/e/e edef|dDD/D/D FEE:|
F|Eeef fedB|defe dBAd|Beed efab|afed e2df|
abaf edef|dBAF ABde|fdec dBBc|dDD/D/D FEE||

It appears in the Athole collection, and was recorded by Alasdair Fraser on 'The Driven Bow'. It's a great tune, and deserves posting as a tune in its own right.

# Posted on May 16th 2003 by ragaman

Yes, I know that one as well, which was why I decided to post this tune as "The Mullingar Lea", just in case someone decided to post the Edor tune later. Why not post it onto the database for us David?

# Posted on May 16th 2003 by Dow

Who knows this as "The Nine *Point* Coggie"? I think whoever it is might have heard it said in a heavy Irish accent. I'm trying to imagine a bucket with nine points... ',:-/

# Posted on May 16th 2003 by Dow

They might have been thinking of The Nine Pints of Roguery.

# Posted on May 21st 2003 by ragaman

LOL -- good one, David...good one...

# Posted on May 22nd 2003 by Zina Lee

Also played by the Kane sisters om "The well Tempered bow" and the Jessie smith solo album.

# Posted on April 22nd 2004 by johnny1

The title "Mullingar Lea" comes from a 78 RPM record made by fiddler Hughie Gillespie, which can be heard on the Rounder record "Milestone at the Garden." Hughie was a student of Michael Coleman who started on the fiddle at home in Donegal, which made for interesting fiddling.

# Posted on December 29th 2004 by Kevin Rietmann

According to Cathy Jordan, a "Coggie" is a vessel only brought out on the wedding night

# Posted on June 5th 2005 by Lizzy

Not a member yet? Sign up!

forgotten your password?

Frequently Asked Questions

Enter your email address to have your password sent to you.